Teen who fled from police at over 100 mph, killing passenger, pleads guilty
A teen pled guilty following a 2023 deadly high-speed pursuit and crash that left a 16-year-old dead, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Trent Cobb, 19, pled guilty Tuesday to failure to stop for blue lights and siren resulting in death and two counts for failure to stop for blue lights and siren resulting in great bodily injury, according to a news release. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison with a three-year credit for time served, while his license has been permanently revoked, the release said.
Cobb’s plea stems from high-speed pursuit on July 14, 2023, where Cobb was operating a Jeep Cherokee, carrying four teen passengers, that had been stopped by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Cobb fled from the traffic stop, reaching speeds of up to 100 mph, before the Richland County Sheriff’s Department joined the pursuit just before the mid-summer-night.
The jeep then crashed into a pond in the Chestnut Hill Plantation subdivision, located near Lost Creek Drive and Boat Ramp Road, and began to submerge at around 12:05 a.m., according to a news release.
Immediately following the crash, deputies dove into the pond and rescued four teens, including Cobb — ranging in age from 14-18. One person, however, did not resurface, the release said.
Deputies promptly called for its dive team to assist, along with the Columbia-Richland Fire Department, the Irmo Fire District and the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office.
After a three-hour search in the muddy pond, under the cover of dark, 16-year-old Brandon Nunez remained missing.
It wouldn’t be until daylight, on July 15, before deputies recovered Nunez’s unresponsive body.
A subsequent investigation determined that Cobb was driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs, according to a news release.
Cobb was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and initially charged with reckless vehicular homicide, felony DUI resulting in death, two counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury, failure to stop for blue lights resulting in death and two counts of failure to stop for blue lights resulting in great bodily injury.
“This was a tragic incident that could’ve been avoided if (Cobb) hadn’t tried to flee,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said in a news release. “Justice was served when the driver took responsibility for his actions today.”
